Flat cable comprises multiple elongated conductors disposed parallel lengthwise and imbedded in a flat wide ribbon of flexible plastic insulation. The insulation is extruded over the conductors, or alternatively is built up from plastic sheet laminates covering the conductors and laminated together. The connector of the present invention is adapted for terminating the conductors of the cable type which is fabricated of laminates.
A particular cable is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,026, and comprises a first row of parallel flat conductors laminated between two sheets of plastic, together with a second row of parallel flat conductors laminated between two additional sheets of plastic. The inner laminates are bonded together to form a composite cable having two rows of conductors. At specific intervals along the length of the cable, the inner laminates are not bonded together for a few inches of length. Each row of conductors is thereby separate from the other and can be terminated with its own connector without disturbing the other row of conductors. If the cable terminus occurs at the separated rows of conductors, each row of conductors can be terminated into the same connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335 discloses a electrical connector having two rows of contacts. The connector is in the form of a plug or a receptacle which can be pluggably connected together such that their contacts frictionally interconnect. The contacts in each type of connector include portions in the form of slotted terminals arranged in two rows. The two rows of conductors in the flat cable are forcibly inserted into the slotted terminals, establishing electrical connections therewith. The cable conductors thereby are provided with plug or receptacle type of connector as desired. One method for inserting a row of flat cable conductors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,923.